The Use of CRISPR-Cas9 Technology in Combatting Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Mosquitoes are carriers of many diseases that are dangerous to humans, and to combat them, scientists are developing various ways to reduce their population. One potentially successful solution in this direction is using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive, which targets the doublesex gene and can lead to insect destruction (Garrood et al., 2021). The Anopheles gambiae mosquito is a dangerous insect, the primary malaria vector in African countries near the Sahara Desert (Hammond et al., 2021). There is a correlation that this disease is the most common in this region, which leads to the conclusion about the danger of these insects. However, using traditional insecticides to reduce the impact of these mosquitoes did not have a good effect.
The Mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 Technology
CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive technology allows us to achieve the desired result more efficiently. This is achieved because, with the help of this mechanism of influence, it is possible to spread the necessary gene extremely quickly among the mosquito population, thereby limiting their reproduction (Garrood et al., 2021). The gene transfer is carried out immediately to all offspring, sometimes accelerating its transmission to the next generations. For a species of mosquito called Anopheles gambiae, scientists successfully propagated the doublesex gene using this technology.
The doublesex gene determines mosquitoes’ sex, which made it possible to control the birth of only male insects. In turn, such a significant change can lead to a significant decrease in the insect population. Not having enough females means mosquitoes will be much less likely to have offspring, resulting in fewer mosquitoes (Hammond et al., 2021). In addition, the developed system provides for the fact that this gene can be passed on to the next generations, which will reduce the population in the future.
Several tests were carried out in the laboratory to reduce the mosquito population by spreading the dual-sex gene. The results of this study were positive, which allowed us to assume that this method can work in natural environmental conditions (Qureshi & Connolly, 2022). During the experiment, scientists took seven generations to destroy the mosquito population.
Potential Risks
However, for use in the wild, it is necessary to calculate several uncertain consequences that may arise from drastic interference with the gene structure of mosquitoes (Connolly et al., 2022). The disappearance of an entire species of certain insects can significantly impact the ecosystem in which they live. Therefore, to translate the plan into action, it is necessary to conduct complete detailed testing and anticipate possible risks.
Another potential risk is that this CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive technology could be misused. In this case, it can lead to uncontrolled negative consequences for the ecosystem. This may be due to the theft of technology or the accidental use of it for other purposes. Thus, it is necessary to set up a sufficient level of protection so that attackers cannot gain access to modifying genes (Liu et al., 2023). At the same time, if the CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive is used competently and correctly, it can bring sufficient benefits and reduce the spread of dangerous diseases.
References
Connolly, J. B., Romeis, J., Devos, Y., Glandorf, D. C., Turner, G., & Coulibaly, M. B. (2022). Gene drive in species complexes: defining target organisms. Trends in Biotechnology. Web.
Garrood, W. T., Kranjc, N., Petri, K., Kim, D. Y., Guo, J. A., Hammond, A. M., Morianou, I., Pattanayak, V., Joung, J., Crisanti, A. & Simoni, A. (2021). Analysis of off-target effects in CRISPR-based gene drives in the human malaria mosquito. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(22). Web.
Hammond, A., Pollegioni, P., Persampieri, T., North, A., Minuz, R., Trusso, A., Bucci, A., Kyrou, K., Morianou, A., Simoni, A., Nolan, T., Muller, R. & Crisanti, A. (2021). Gene-drive suppression of mosquito populations in large cages as a bridge between lab and field. Nature Communications, 12(1), 4589. Web.
Liu, Y., Wang, L., & Yu, Y. (2023). Gene drive system based on CRISPR-Cas9 in mosquito control. Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology, 36, 119-123. Web.
Qureshi, A., & Connolly, J. B. (2022). Bioinformatic and literature assessment of toxicity and allergenicity of a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered gene drive to control the human malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae. Web.